Doing Your Best is not Enough
by KathPetrova.Diary
Summary: Alec feels unappreciated by the team ever since Clary barged in. When he stands up for himself, it goes sideways. That is until help from an unexpected corner comes [ClaryxAlec friendship]


_Doing Your Best is not enough_

"I'm doing the best I can!" The words echoed throughout the Institute, silencing every Nephilim in the main room. Heads turned to him. Anxiousness settled in which he tried to keep hidden. Their stares made his blood freeze clung to his bones, his runes itching on his skin.  
"Alec we never said you aren't." It was his sister that brought him back to reality. His gaze fixated on her brown eyes. She reached out to him, her nails digging into his skin as some sort of reassurance.  
He replied: "No," Voice steadier and calmer than he felt on the inside. "You never said it, but all of you sure as hell thought it." His eyes shot up toward the redhead standing behind his Parabatai. She squirmed under his tone, proving his point.  
Looks were exchanged between the Shadowhunters as he pulled his arm out of Isabelle's iron grasp. He walked towards his chamber, ignoring everyone and everything around him. He was sick of this whole chaos that had irrupted ever since that _girl_ had come bursting in. He entered his room, slamming the door close behind him with a smack. He wanted that everything went back to the way it was. Now… For all he cared they could go to the Downworld! They just didn't listen. He'd warned them over and over that someday the Clave would come banging on their door, bite them in the ass. And like he'd predicted they came and now his _team_ was begging him to fix it.  
Not this time. No, this time he'd do what he wants to! Let them handle the Clave for once, while he's out on a joyride mission.

A knock sounded on the door of his dorm. He pushed himself off his bed to open the door with a huff. "Jace, I'm not in the mood for a lec- Clary?" He fell silent as the petite teen stood in front of him, looking up at him uncertain.  
"May I come in? We need to talk." Alec stepped aside so she could walk into his room. She'd never been there before. Surprise was written all over her face. "It's so…"  
"Small." He confirmed, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "I used to have a bigger room. That is until some inexperienced Shadowhunter and her mundane friend moved in."

Clary's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red as she stood awkwardly in the middle of the bedroom.  
"Why're you here?" He took place on his bed, laying his Stele on the nightstand.  
She inhaled sharply: "You think we don't appreciate what you do for the team."

He scoffed as he let himself fall back onto the matrass. "The team?" She nodded, making him cover his eyes in frustration. "Ever heard of the expression: 'There's no I in team.'" She frowned at him, clearly not seeing the point. "Jace, Izzy and me; we are a team. Jace, Izzy, Simon, you and me; we are not a team! You don't care about anything but saving your mom and your own skin!"

Clary sucked in her bottom lip, keeping herself from saying something she'd regret. He looked at her, eyebrows pulled up in anticipation. "No reply?" He chuckled.

She was officially done. "We appreciate you, Alec! But I understand if you think we don't. What I don't get, though, is why you won't accept me as part of your so called 'team'." Her tone was slightly accusatory.  
She sat down on the bed as well, lying down next to him. He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, wondering where she was going with this. She caught his gaze, turning to her side so she could prop herself up on her elbow.

"Tell me."

He sighed, turning onto his right side, the pillow under his head. He thought about his answer for a moment. What was it that he couldn't like Clary? Expect for ignoring the Clave and her feelings for Jace, feelings he returned for her but not for him.

"You've no experience and act like you're the leader. You follow your heart, something a Shadowhunter isn't supposed to do. You turn my Parabatai against me, so my bond is weakened with him. Oh and you almost got my sister sent to hell." It didn't come out as vicious as he had expected it would. Maybe that was a good thing.

"Look, I don't hate you Clary. I actually quite like your style, but you need to understand we're trained to do this kind of stuff and listen to us. Don't go barging around orders like you own the place, just because you think you're closer to Valentine than any of us. We've battled him before. Let us take the lead." He indicated the Institute, but it sounded a lot more like he meant himself.

She nodded, overthinking the words in her head. It was silent for minutes as they just looked at each other from their spots on the bed.  
"Do you want to train me? Maybe I'll get your trust that way." His eyes grew wide expecting some kind of rant, but certainly not this.  
"Uhm, what about Jace?" She shrugged. "You're his best friend, he won't mind."

Alec shook his head, a small smile on his lips. "Clary Fray, you give me headaches."

She laughed, punching him in the shoulder. "Isabelle is right. You just need to explode once in a while." He grinned, something she hadn't seen that much on him since she got here.

"Izzy said that? I swear to the Angel she's forever a pain in my side!" They laughed. A second later the door flew open revealing the other two missing members. "I see you two made up?" Izzy asked, holding her head slightly angled. "Yeah, yeah." Alec sighed, as he stood up. Pulling Clary with him.

"We cool?" Jace asked a lot less confident than his sister.  
He nodded at his friend, who pulled him in a hug. "We'll be fine." He said as Jace let go of him with a smile.

Minutes later the four of them are back in the main room of the Institute acting like nothing had happened. Maybe that was the way it was going to be from now on. Alec's eyes rested on Clary's back as she explained something to his sister.  
She'd changed the place drastically, but he'd come to think about it before today. And to be fairly honest… He didn't mind the fiery redhead's presence at all.

 _The end_

 **A/N:** I began watching Shadowhunters a week ago, because of two of my friends who adore it. Got to say it's so amazing. The cast is adorable and I'm very fond of most characters in such a short period. Alec being my cute lil' baby. With this I don't want to erase his sexuality. I didn't mean this in a romantic way or anything, I just like Clalec as friends and hope they get more scenes in Season 2.  
Thank you for reading.


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